Three dimensional (3D) printing is a form of additive manufacturing also known as stereolithography (“STL”) or Fusion Deposition Method (FDM). Structures, parts, or items may be manufactured by building up successive layers of material which are either fused, adhered, or hardened together. A computer may control the movement and deposition of the desired material, which can be a malleable material such as plastic, through an extruder assembly. Many other materials, for example concrete (concrete like materials), chocolate (food products), rubber, nylon, electrically conductive resins, metals, and epoxy-like (resin hardeners) materials can also be used as well as other materials.
Typically, the extruder assembly heats the material and extrudes it onto a printing surface or platform. The extruder assembly's movement may be controlled by a series of actuators, servo-motors, or other movement mechanisms to allow for control in two or more dimensions by a computer. The deposited material layers then cool and harden into the desired shape or form. In some cases the extruder assembly may not require a heating element such as with concrete and the deposited material sets by virtue of other mechanisms such as elapsed time.
Current 3D printers are constructed with beams or rods that extend the entire height, length, and width (x, y, and z axis) of the printable area. The extruder assembly may be able to travel up and down or side to side along the rods or, alternatively, the build platform or printing surface may be able to travel up or down vertical rods or beams. These configurations allow the desired part to be built by moving the extruder assembly along the vertical and horizontal axis. The limitations of this type of configuration include limited mobility, large size, and weight. It's also sometimes difficult to adjust and maintain levelness of the extrusion assembly plane through the entire build operation.
There is a need in the art of three dimensional printers to reduce the amount of space that such printers take up while not in use, and make them more flexible in operation. The present invention is suited to address these needs and more.